‘just As Enjoyable As The Premier League’: Wythenshawe’s Top-flight Veterans Take Centre Stage

It each started pinch a image and caption connected societal media: “If Carlsberg did benches.” Then came a tweet, naming 9 erstwhile Premier League players connected nan books of Wythenshawe FC’s over-35s side: Stephen Ireland, Emile Heskey, Maynor Figueroa, Joleon Lescott, Papiss Cissé, Oumar Niasse, Nedum Onuoha, George Boyd and Danny Drinkwater.

Adding caller enlistee Jefferson Montero to nan database intends Wythenshawe’s veterans squad includes 1,867 Premier League appearances, positive 389 world caps and 15 awesome honours.

It is almost surreal to spot six of nan group – Ireland, Figueroa, Cissé, Boyd, Drinkwater and Montero – statement up astatine Hollyhedge Park for a Sunday League veterans’ lucifer against South Liverpool, pinch Drinkwater and Montero making their debuts. This is muck‑and-nettles stuff, yet nan sticky November turf is being graced by players who person tasted nan very top.

Unsurprisingly, Wythenshawe came into nan crippled successful sparkling shape – and showed nary mercy successful continuing it. They had already picked up immoderate comfortable victories, winning 6-2, 10-1, 7-1 and 5-2 successful nan league. Cissé, nan erstwhile Newcastle striker, scored each six against nan Merseyside squad Collegiate Old Boys past month, a crippled that astir 200 group turned up to watch. There are almost 5 times that successful attendance for their latest match, marvelling arsenic nan Ammies’ veterans rack up a 13-0 scoreline. Cissé scored 8 goals – each successful nan 2nd half, aft he missed a first-half penalty, pinch Boyd and Ireland scoring 2 apiece. The names of nan stars are connected each fan’s lips.

Papiss Cissé is each smiles arsenic he exits nan transportation astatine aft scoring 8 goals against South Liverpool. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The Guardian

It each started pinch nan erstwhile Manchester City man Ireland, who is adjacent friends pinch nan Wythenshawe subordinate Blake Norton and was eager for a Sunday day kickabout aft playing a “low-key” seven-a-side pinch immoderate chap erstwhile pros connected Tuesday nights. Ireland, who exhibited immoderate good touches successful nan crippled and started nan scoring pinch an inventive volley earlier providing respective assists for Cissé, enlisted immoderate high-calibre ringers.

“I came down successful pre-season conscionable because I emotion playing football,” Ireland says. “I emotion nan fittingness broadside of things. I invited immoderate of nan others and slow but surely everyone wants to play.

“It’s competitory and it’s going from spot to strength. I didn’t want it to beryllium thing wherever 15 of america ex-pros came successful and took over, I want a bully operation pinch nan aged vets lads. It’s a bully humbling acquisition to interact pinch fans arsenic well. It’s awesome to springiness backmost and nan nine person been truthful bully to me. We’re each section arsenic well.”

The nine has been blown distant by nan maturation of nan communicative connected societal media and nan consequence of nan community. The chair, Carl Barratt, says: “Positive property is ever bully but we’ve not had thing for illustration this before. I’ve moreover had 1 of my family members successful Australia nonstop maine a connection – that’s really acold we’ve reached.”

Barratt is eager to bespeak Wythenshawe’s vets were a unit to beryllium reckoned pinch moreover earlier nan influx of Premier League talent. Last play they won 30 of 32 games nether their manager, Kieran Megran, nan only defeats coming successful 2 County Cup finals. It was Megran’s drive, and nan engagement of Ireland, that really took things to nan adjacent level.

Kieran Megran, pictured earlier his side’s 9-1 triumph complete St John’s successful October, won 30 of 32 games past season. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The Guardian

“It virtually started from a speech astir really we tin triumph these County Cups and abruptly we’ve sewage each these prima players,” Barratt says.

“We emotion it, honestly,” Ireland says. “It’s meant to beryllium nosy and casual, but moreover now my telephone is lighting up pinch ex-players saying: ‘How do I motion up?’ And nan turnout coming was amazing.”

The erstwhile Leicester and England midfielder Drinkwater says: “Without sounding daft, there’s conscionable arsenic overmuch enjoyment arsenic playing successful nan Premier League. You do a token 10-minute warm-up, you’re having a laughter and you person a pint afterwards – it’s arsenic bully arsenic it’s going to get. The values are evidently different successful master football, but you tin bask it conscionable arsenic much. It’s for illustration property football, which is what you enjoyed arsenic a kid. There’s loads of banter. I was chuckling distant connected nan transportation today.”

For Barratt, it has gone beyond conscionable winning matches and that elusive hunt for cup glory. He has been connected to Wythenshawe for 24 years and oversees their 80 teams crossed each property levels – involving astir 1,000 children. He was Cole Palmer’s first coach erstwhile nan existent Chelsea guardant was a youngster astatine nan club. Barratt and galore others person put countless hours into nan club, truthful to spot hundreds stitchery connected a Sunday greeting for a veterans crippled is special.

“Ultimately, we’re a community‑owned nine and this is highlighting what we do successful nan area. For what Stevie Ireland has done, because he’s been nan catalyst to get group progressive on pinch Kieran, it’s been superb.

Stephen Ireland was nan ‘catalyst’ to getting different erstwhile master players involved. Photograph: Joel Goodman/The Guardian

“Wythenshawe is not nan astir able area but hopefully this tin lend to america getting much players, generating much money and nan feelgood facet astir nan spot … you tin conscionable consciousness it.

“The different week I was pinch our president, John Walker, who’s done a batch for nan club, and I’m looking crossed seeing Emile Heskey wearing a Wythenshawe FC striped shirt, opinionated nether nan John Walker Stand. So that’s 1 of nan champion memories I’m going to person astatine nan club. It’s a funny aged crippled erstwhile you spot things for illustration that.”